Johnny Winter’s supervision of Muddy Waters’ comeback in 1977 was far more productive than the superstar recordings of “The London Muddy Waters Sessions” of 1972 (and even more so Howlin’ Wolf’s collaborations with British musicians the year prior). Recorded with the late Texas bluesman alongside members of the blues icon’s own band–plus harpist James Cotton with whom the albino Winter had worked before on the album “Hard Again” that was in fact the first of three such releases (in addition to a collection of live recordings) and the initial project on Blue Sky Records following Waters’ departure from his long-time home label Chess Records. Rather than demonstrate health issues that would afflict him later this same year, the concert clip from 1981 exhibits all the joy and pathos in the best work of the man born McKinley Morganfield.
Here you’ll find Chicago blues titan Muddy Waters on his home turf near the end of his life. This 1981 performance (Waters died in ’83) features the final version of Muddy’s band, including pianist Lovie Lee and harmonica man George “Mojo” Buford, but there’s also a guest appearance from blues-rock guitar hero Johnny Winters, who had produced a trio of late-’70s albums that gave Waters a comeback of sorts. The set list includes plenty of Muddy’s classics, like the carnal stomp “Mannish Boy” and the frenzied “Got My Mojo Working.”
The Fat Angel Sings 